Presenter: Jade Emilia Shum

Faculty Sponsor: Christine Ho

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Anthropology

Session: Poster Session 4, 2:15 PM - 3:00 PM, 163, C22

ABSTRACT

Between the late 1990s through early 2010s, the image of the Asian American became increasingly visible within American popular culture. Using children’s historical media within this period, this paper examines how Asian Americans in the United States are positioned as simultaneous citizens and perpetual foreigners. More specifically, it will analyze American Girl’s 1970s series of Julie Albright and her best friend Ivy Ling released in 2007 and their accompanying illustrated books, accessories, and other visual materials to discuss the depiction of Asian Americans. Despite being set in early 1970s San Francisco and heavily including SF Chinatown which was a hub for multi-ethnic and racial activism, Ivy Ling was not connected to the main character’s exploration of second-wave feminism and activism of this decade. As Ivy Ling continues to be the only Asian American Historic Character within the American Girl brand, her presence, while limited, reflects the complex space Asian Americans occupy in what it means to be American. 

While Asian American studies have previously explored ideas of assimilation, citizenship, and revolutionary thought, much of the research is focused on pre-1980s politics and attitudes. While the idea of the perpetual foreigner and the post-1970s establishment of the model minority myth has been explored—the ways in which it was transformed in the changed political climate of the 1990s, particularly around immigration policies and the War on Terror, has not yet undergone extensive analysis. Furthermore, there is not much existing work using art historical and anthropological research methods on contemporary children’s media at the turn of the 21st century, especially for Asian Americans.